The MG Go! concept was unveiled to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it previews a car that's set to go on sale next year.
Tell me what I need to know about the MG Go!
For now, the MG Go! remains purely a concept car, but the company has said that it's a statement and an indication of where the brand can go next. Read between the lines a bit more, and it's clear the supermini is an early preview of the brand's next supermini hatchback. Although that car doesn't officially have a name, it's been hinted that it could carry the MG 2 moniker, indicating its positioning in the range.
Tell me more about the design of the MG Go!
Despite being a concept car and having the usual features that go with these things, there are many aspects of the MG Go! that are purely for show. These include the pronounced front splitter, wide wheel track and centre-lock wheels.
Designers took inspiration from one of the company's most famous models: the MG B. This detail is seen in the C-pillar, but the car also leans into the sporty nature of the brand's past, with models such as the MG Metro Turbo and MG ZR that have long been popular amongst fans.
The front lights are framed by two vertical bars with a detailed matrix-like square element in the centre. Its bulging wheel arches give it presence without it appearing aggressively sporty. Don't expect the anodised blue towing eyes that protrude from each corner of the bumper to remain, though these could be replaced by LED fog lights.
Looking at this concept, we can see that the five-door hatchback has a conventional lift-up-style door handle; however, the rear doors may get a handle integrated into the window where it meets the C-pillar, giving it more of a three-door appearance.
Around the rear is a large roof spoiler in a contrasting matt black finish and an even more pronounced diffuser. Rear lights are a detailed affair and move away from the arrow-style design currently used on the MG4 Urban and Cyberster.
Click here to read our MG4 Urban review.
What about the interior?
For now, that remains a mystery as only the exterior has been shown thus far, but MG designers did say that it will feature "some innovation”, and it is likely to have a combination of digital and physical interfaces. MG has been keen to avoid the all-digital interiors that other Chinese companies tend to offer, and on the MG S5 and S6, has incorporated physical controls specifically for the European market.
Are there any technical details for the MG Go!
For now, the car remains a design study, so there's no information on performance or powertrains, though it is expected to be fully electric when it goes on sale next year. From a packaging perspective, it is more likely to arrive as a front-wheel-drive electric car with a setup similar to that of the MG4 Urban. The company is developing production-ready semi-solid-state battery technology, and this could be one of the first models to offer this setup.
What does the designer say?
Car Gotham, Design Director of MG Advanced Design in London, said: "With MG Go!, we wanted to create something compact and contemporary, but also warm, expressive and immediately likeable, an embodiment of all that we admire about the MG brand. It is not about looking back for its own sake, but about capturing some of the clarity, charm and emotional appeal that have always made MG so distinctive, and reinterpreting that in a way that feels relevant today and crucially creating something with strong charisma.”
When will it go on sale?
There is no exact date for when we can even see what a production version of the MG Go! will look like. However, it's clear from speaking with management that the finished car, expected to be known as the MG2, will not only be revealed by 2027 but will also be available to order.